Disney should be the creators, not just the bankers, distributors, and marketers.

Feature Animation should have always been on the cutting-edge technology, using it to tell the story instead of dictating the story. Now, there's catching up to do. Pixar is the best right now and everyone knows it. Animation is now used in websites, interactive games, DVD menus, theme park attractions, and toys, so there is more for Feature Animation to do than just make feature films. The staff just needs the right leadership and opportunity, not to be demoralized and sent packing.

Let me return to something I touched on at the start of the column.

Let's assume that Pixar's proposition was a losing one for the Company

Why would Pixar take a route that would end its partnership with the Company? John Lasseter used to be a Disneyland cast member, after all. The "Walt Disney Pictures" label before an animated film used to spell instant goodwill and increased box office profit. Nobody is better at marketing animated feature films than Disney. So why did Pixar leave?

Could it be that the Company name isn’t carrying the power it used to? Could it be that Pixar executives didn't want to deal with certain people at Disney anymore? Could it be that the Company has been less committed to quality animation? Being on the outside, I can't say for sure.

But I do know that Disney should have been so attractive that Pixar would shove off the hassle of finding a new distributor.

The Disney Company name and the synergy should have counted for something. There used to be a little of this when a celebrity would visit the Disneyland Resort, for instance. I remember Dennis Miller’s impression when he stepped off the Disneyland Indiana Jones Adventure attraction for the first time. He was blown away. Now, do you think that made him less likely or more likely to want to work with Disney as a result? Mr. Miller is just an example- it could have been any other performer. Whether someone is an artist or a businessperson, everyone wants to be associated with quality and success.

The “profits�? from good quality often can’t be measured directly. I know that makes some of the sharp pencil people nervous, but they need to look at the bigger picture. There are some things that just can’t be reduced to “How long will it take to bring a direct return of 300-percent?�? Cheapening out or relying on outsiders to do your work for you will have costs you don't even realize at first.

I can't help but think that Pixar's departure has something to do with the name of the Company not holding as much sway, as well as Pixar films not being used as effectively at the theme parks as they could have been (which would have meant more promotion for Pixar). Buzz Lightyear was a great overhaul of what was already at the Walt Disney World Resort, and It's Tough to Be A Bug is a cute show, even if it scares the hell out of some people. But is Flik's Fun Fair really going far enough? It works as a temporary measure, but we haven't seen any concrete work on a Finding Nemo attraction, despite it being the highest-grossing animated film ever, and it's practically criminal that an E Ticket Monsters, Inc., attraction isn't getting ready to open as I type. Pixar handed Disney a ride on a silver plate in that film.

Why did Pixar leave? Why have there been so many high-level departures from a company once known for the loyalty it showed employees and the loyalty they showed in return? I wonder what it could be?

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Disney is a company with tremendous potential that still stands apart from other studios and other theme park companies, and Michael Eisner has made many notable achievements in his time at Disney. But something has gone a little too far wrong in recent years, and it isn’t just being noticed by the standard contingent of griping hardcore fans you will find with anything else in life that people spend a lot of time and money on - pop music bands, sports teams, Presidential candidates, buying up James Tesla Kirk memorabilia. It is being noticed and commented on by more and more mainstream media and investment people and consumers.

Pixar's departure is just the latest symptom.

The Company needs to move forward now, rebuilding Feature Animation until it beats Pixar and rivals Industrial Light & Magic in providing special effects to "live action" films. Then, it needs to follow through with sensible synergistic projects that enhance the brand, not exploit it crassly. The Company needs the leadership that can make this happen.

What do you think?